Cake flexing machine



f WW m k a? 4 w/ fy l m A L n March 14, 1944.

Filed' Feb. 5, 1942 *other liquid treatment stages.

is to effect the flexing with contacting surfaces to the wrapping point.

Patented Mar. 14, 1944 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAKE FLEXINGMACHINE I Donald C. Thompson, Roanoke, Va., assignor to American ViscoseCorporation, Wilmington, DeL, a corporation of Delaware ApplicationFebruary 5, 1942, Serial No. 429,617

,6 Claims.

This invention relates to a deviceadapted to flex and to therebysomewhat loosen rayon cakes such as are produced in the centrifugalbucket spinning processes preparatory to treating them with liquids. i

It is an object of the invention to flex the rayon cakes, preferably aplurality, simultaneously,

without injuring the filaments in them. A further object is to provide amachine for automatifiexing such cakes while they are being conveyedfrom one stage of manufacture, such as the cake-wrapping step, to asecond stage of treatment such as the cake-washing, desulfiding, and

moving at the same speed as the cakes. A further object is to provide aflexing device arranged in a manner with respect to the conveyor suchthat uniform flexing of each cake is obtained. Further objects willappear from the drawing and the description thereof hereinafter.

The single figure of the drawing is a perspective viewoi the cakeflexing device showing its relation to the conveyor.

In the figure, the cakes 2 are supported by rods 3 whose ends are setwithin the notched brackets 4 fixed upon the carrier 5 which is pivotedto the hanger 6 pivotally connectedati to the conveyor chain 8. Thehanger s provided with a. yoke 8 and the rollers III which ride withinthe guideways II provided by the I-beam track. This track is suitablysuspended from overhead beams or from the ceiling of the plant andactsas a guide for the chain conveyor to conduct the cakes from one stage ofhandling, such as the cakewrapping stage, to a second point oi handling,

, conveyor chain 8 is provided at-intervai with hangers and carriers andmoves them continuously in a circuit from the wramflnl; point to theliquid treatment point and, aiter unloading, back After the carriershave been loaded, the con tinuously moving conveyor brings them throughthe cake flexing device shown in the drawing which is supported withinthe framework It sus pended from tlie ceiling or beams overhead.

5 and to operate the cake-flexing device.

A further object such as the liquid-treatment stage. The cakes, as theyare wrapped, are put upon the rods 8,

This framework supports a suitable driving mechanism, such as the motorll, which by means of the two sprockets I5 and IS on its shaft I1 isadapted both to drive the chain conveyor 8 Every third link of thedriving chain la operated'by sprocket I5 is provided with an outwardlyprotruding lug l9 adapted to engage with the links of the conveyor chain8. A second sprocket 20 supported on the shaft II is arranged so thatone course of the driving chain l8 operates in a line parallel andclosely adjacent to the conveyor chain 8 so that the lugs l8 efiect thecontinuous driving desired. Within the framework, there 5 are supportedtwo pairs of shafts 22, 23 and 24,

25, one pair being provided with the rollers 28 and 21, and the otherpair being provided with the belt driving rollers 28 and 28, which, asshown in the drawing, are of larger diameter than the idler rollers. Apair of belts in and 31 are driven upon the opposite rollers of eachpair. Any suitable driving mechanism -may be employed for driving thesetwo belts. As shown in the drawing, the shaft is provided with asprocket 32 25 which is driven from the sprocket I6 by means I of thechain'33. The shaft 24 carrying the other driving-roller 28 is driventhrough the sprocket 34 thereon, the chain 35 connecting it to a secondsprocket fixed to the shaft 31 to which is secured a gear 38 in meshwith a second gear 39 up on the shaft 25. Whatever the driving mechanismselected, the gear ratios and sprocket sizes should be chosen so thatthe two belts 30 and 3| move in the same direction at substantially thesame speed as the conveyor chain 8 so that there is no tendency for thebelts to force the cakes against the upright ends of the carrier 5 asthey proceed through the device. The belts and the rollers about whichthey run are so arranged that theirv opposed courses converge in theirdirection of travel, sufllcient space being allowed betweenthelm closesapproach to permit free passage of the carrier itself therebetween.

Afterthe cakes are compressed by passage'between the two belts,theconveyor 8 conducts the cakes on the carrier 5 to the chargingstation of any suitable apparatus, such as the liquid treatmentapparatus shown in the patents to Allen et 8.1., 2,200,197 at whichpoint the flexed cakes, with riers to the liquid treatment machine.

- While a preferred embodiment of the inven- 7 tion has been disclosed,the description is intended to be illustrative only, and it is to beunderstood I or withoutthe rods, are transferred from the car- 2 I outdeparting from the spirit or acope oi the invention as defined by the.appended claims. What I claim is:

l. A. device for altering the shape of annular, I

woundpackages comprising two belts arranged with their opposed coursesforming a channel therebetween converging from a span at le'ast,

about as large as the diameter of the'pack'ages to woun'd'packagescomprising two belts arranged with their opposedcourses iforming achannel, therebetween convergingirom a span at least about as large asthe diameter or :the packages to a span'substantlally less than thepackage diameter, means ror driving said belts in the direction ofconvergence, means for introducing a span 'substantiallyless than thepackagediam-.

'eter, means for driving said belts, in the ,direc tionoi. convergence,and means torintroducing the packages into the larger end of the channelwith their axes extending generally in the direction of convergence ofsaid channel.

2." A device for altering the shape of annular,

I '15 wound packages comprising a carrier, means on saidcarrier forsupporting the packages with their axes substantially horizontal, a pairoi! opposed pressure members arranged to form a gen erally verticalchannelconverging in a generally horizontal direction from a span atleastabout as largeas the diameter or the packages to a spansubstantially less than the package diameter but sumcientlylarge topermit rree passage of the carrier itself, and means for moving saidcarrier 7 and cakes between said members in the direction ofconvergence.

I 3. A device for alteringthe shape or annular, wound packagescomprising two belts arranged with their opposed courses forming achannel therebetween converging from a span atleast about as large asthe diameter 01' the packages to aspan'substantially less than thepackage diameter, means for driving said belts in the di-v the packagesinto the larger end of the channel with their axes extending generallyin the direcdiameter or the packages to a span substantially less thanthe package diameter but sufficiently large to permit free passage ofthe carrier itself, and means for moving said carrier between said beltsin the direction of convergence.

B. A device for alteringthe shape of annular, wound packages comprisinga carrier comprising a shallow frame and a plurality of approximatelyparallel rods, supported on the frame substantially horizontally in acommon substantially I vertical plane, two belts arranged with theiroprection of convergence, and means for introducing 35 the packages intothe larger end of the channel 7 with their axes extending generally inthe direction of convergence of said channel and for conveying themtherebetween at substantially the same speed as the speed of the belt.

4. A devicelor altering the shape 01" annular,

posed courses. forming a vertical channel therebetween cbnverging in agenerally horizontal direction froma span atleast about as large as thediameter of the packages to a span substantiallyless than the packagediameter butsufilclently large to permit tree passage or the carrieritself, and means for. moving said carrier between said belts in thedirection of convergence.

I I DONALD C. THOMPSON.

at substantially the same

